Caring for SchoolAge Children Chapter 7 Helping Children

Caring for School-Age Children Chapter 7 Helping Children Develop Social Competence Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Social Competence Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Social Competence • Making and keeping friends is extremely important • Teaching social skills is part of the curriculum in schools and child care programs Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Strategies • Coach children in effective ways of behaving toward friends • Praise children for successful interactions • Model good social skills • Discuss characteristics that foster friendships • Use games and role-playing Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Activities • Make a Friend • OK, We’ll Do It • Best Friends Are… Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Personal Reflection What are the influences on children’s ability or inability to resolve conflict? Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Conflict Resolution Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Conflict Resolution • Decide to resolve the conflict • Each side tells what happened • State what each person needs to resolve the conflict • Explore possible ways to resolve the conflict • Later, evaluate situation to see if resolution is working Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Strategies • Increase children’s ability to read nonverbal cues • Help children see that others may have a different view • Provide many opportunities for trial and error • Encourage children to draft a conflict plan Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Activities • • Silent Stories Cultural Scenes Fighting Fair Role-Playing • • Shopping Trip Build a Tower Brainstorming Picture Problems Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Self-Image Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Two Components of Self-Image • Our perception of ourselves • Perceptions conveyed by others Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Strategies • Have a genuine interest in each child • Recognize each child’s uniqueness • Support self-esteem through meaningful activities • Conduct group meetings • Provide many ways for children to feel successful Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Activities • • Greetings Interior Decoration Getting to Know You Puppet Talk • • TV Talk Silhouettes Getting to Know Me Family Tree Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Cooperation Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Cooperative Behavior • Cooperation does not come easily to children • Children are beginning to understand that others have needs • Supportive adults help children with cooperation Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Strategies • Model expected behavior • Emphasize cooperation rather than competition • Design space to accommodate groups of varying sizes Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

• Lead discussions about sharing, fairness, taking turns, and negotiating • Plan activities that require children to work together toward a common goal Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Changing Children’s Behavior Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Help Children Reverse Destructive Behaviors • State demands clearly and specifically • Avoid common cliché statements of expectations • Consider stating expectations in the form of rules Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Strategies • Try to understand behavior • Help children develop an honest sense of their own competence • Help children praise themselves • Allow children to express feelings • Model acceptable behavior Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

• Help children devise ways to act on feelings of sympathy • Encourage children to put feelings into words • Create a nonaggressive environment • Be consistent Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Communications That Help to Change Behaviors Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Responses to Children That Can Bring About Change • Acknowledge children’s feelings • Describe the situation • Help children recognize how their behavior affects others Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Behaviors That Create Problems for Individuals or the Group • • Excessive aggression Quiet and distant demeanor Overly active behavior Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) • Special needs Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Personal Reflection Have you tried to help a child whose behavior was like one described in this chapter? What strategies did you use? Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.